Who Hires Deaf People and Those With Special Needs?

We recently posted a headline highlighting Amazon’s efforts toward inclusiveness in hiring their employees.

For years, our agency has provided interpreting services for deaf employees holding Management and Executive positions in the Los Angeles area.

There was a time when the best known company hiring employees needing accommodations was The Goodwill Organization.

Now that we’re in the year 2018 (!!! ), I was wondering which companies are now hiring a more diverse work group.  Here’s what I found.

The top 6

(Please excuse the “disability” word)

1. IBM Corporation

IBM Corporation (which stands for “International Business Machines”) leads the pack when it comes to being accommodation-friendly. The company is an American technology and consulting company, and puts a heavy emphasis on recruiting/hiring/retaining workers with special needs. IBM even requires all employees to participate in an awareness training program.

2. Proctor & Gamble

Proctor & Gamble – the owner of brands such as Crest, Tide, Folgers, and Head & Shoulders – is a multinational manufacturer of a wide assortment of products. The company also caters to a wide assortment of abilities by offering a People with Disabilities Employee Group to encourage an inclusive workplace.

3. Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young, a multinational professional services firm, has received awards from the publication Diversity Inc for its efforts in hiring employees with special needs. The company offers disability awareness training for all of its employees, as well as alternative career tracks and the opportunity to telecommute.

4. Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems is an American multinational technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells networking equipment. The company makes the compliance-friendly list for offering alternative career tracks and telecommuting opportunities to these employees. They even offer healthcare incentives, as well as onsite health centers and pharmacies.

5. S.C. Johnson

S.C. Johnson is a fifth-generation family company that’s responsible for many leading global household brands, such as: Glade, Pledge, Windex, and OFF!. Where accommodations are concerned, S.C. Johnson has assembled an Abilities First Council to support/advocate for their employees requiring special accommodations. They also have many additional programs in place to recruit, hire, and train these job seekers.

6. Sodexo

Sodexo is a multinational food services and facilities management corporation. The company is especially noteworthy due to its SOAR program, which stands for “Sodexo Organization of disAbilities Resources.” This group provides disability awareness training, as well as serves to hire and retain employees requiring special accommodations.

Recently, I watched an employee sign to a deaf customer in Starbucks. ‘Deaf owned’ establishments are opening across the country.

Walmart and Google are known for their efforts in hiring people of all abilities and training other employees to increase awareness.

Obviously, this is the positive spin. On the flip side, countless organizations are seemingly hesitant to hire those who may require special training and accommodations. All the same, we’d like to applaud the companies who are progressive in their outlook and make the effort to hire qualified employees , regardless of their ‘ability’ or perceived ‘disability’.

Sources:

Brian Havens
http://disability.about.com/od/DisabilitiesInTheWorkplace/tp/Top-10-Disabled-Friendly-Workplaces.htm
http://www.diversityinc.com/top-10-companies-people-with-disabilities/